


Shadow of the Crane

by BlueLineGoon



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Camping, Capsule Corporation, Doubt, Family, Friendship, Gen, Ki Use, Martial Arts, Meditation, No Sex, No Smut, Post-Cell Games Saga, Saiyans, Self-Doubt, Soul-Searching, Sparring, Starting Over, Training, Training Camp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:40:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23342605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueLineGoon/pseuds/BlueLineGoon
Summary: Inspired by / expanded from one of my ficlets from my 2nd Quarantine Week Challenge.Rated T for some swearing.Tien struggles with his past and a sense of purpose in the months following the Cell Games. He is visited by his friends while he lays plans to build his own Martial Arts School.
Relationships: Chiaotzu & Tenshinhan (Dragon Ball), Tenshinhan & Yamcha
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

Tien sat beneath his favourite spruce tree and stared up through its sparse branches at the night sky. The mountain valley stretched out below him, painted in blues and deep purples from the bright moonlight. The night air was cool and bracing, scented with evergreen sap and the unmistakable smell of far-off glacier ice. It was inhospitable to most, but to him it smelled like home. He could see, far below, where Chiaotzu had a small fire going outside their camp.

_Camp?_ He thought, smirking, _it’s almost feeling like home these past few years._

The valley lay hidden deep in the forbidding mountain range beyond Metro North, and had served as a secret training facility for Master Shen’s Crane School. The remote location was chosen to give his more advanced, Ki-capable students a venue to train unrestrained. The School had long since folded, dying along with its master and his cybernetic brother. Tien, as the last remaining senior student of Shen, held sole agency to pass on its techniques and philosophy, or let them pass into memory when he died.

In the years since his former master’s death, he had used this hidden valley as a place to meditate and train. Though the facility was old and slowly falling to ruin, he made use of it. A part of him refused to repair or rebuild, a small corner of his heart still bitter at how he had been used and mislead by Shen.

He and Chiaotzu had been spending more and more time here in recent years. Though his last visit was before the Cell Games, he realized that he had come to rely on the valley as a sanctuary. He realized that, if he took stock, he spent more time here than almost anywhere else. Rising from his mediations, he began the long hike down the rocky trail to camp. He could have flown, but chose instead to walk, reaching out with his finely honed senses to pick the safest way down.

_That, at least, I can appreciate_ , he thought, _even something as simple as a hike, Shen viewed as a training exercise._

“Always be on guard!” He could still hear Shen’s voice, reprimanding him, “always expect attack! You must learn to make every waking moment a drill in preparedness and defense!”

Though Shen had ill-treated both he and Chiaotzu, and lied to them, he **had** been their Master. And despite his faults, Tien had to admit that he had taken care of them, and under his tutelage he had attained new heights of strength. In his own ill-advised quest to avenge Shen, he had pushed himself to his limits and surpassed them, again and again. That quest to defeat Goku had been drilled into him by Shen, who sought to humiliate Roshi by defeating his students. Those days were long behind him, but the desire to surpass his old friend and rival persisted. Day after day, year after year. From bitter enemies to friendly rivals and friends, his desire to surpass Goku still drove him.

“Not that it mattered, in the end.” He said aloud, nearly startling himself.

“What didn’t matter, Tien?’ Chiaotzu asked.

While his mind had wandered, his feet had carried him, almost unbidden, back to camp.

“Just reflecting. Tien said.

He took a seat next to the fire and accepted a cup of tea from Chiaotzu with gratitude. His young friend sat across from him, and fixed Tien with a stare indicating he was waiting for him to continue.

“I had started to suspect it was hopeless, but the Cell Games cemented it. I lost, Chiaotzu. Even after all these years, my main ambition, my sole purpose, was to surpass Goku. But what I’ve seen him do, hell, what his son can do…”

They sipped tea in silence.

“I tried, Chiaotzu, I really did.” Tien felt tears welling up from some deep place within him.

“Don’t cry, Tien!”

Chiaotzu floated around the fire and wrapped Tien in a hug, barely encompassing his deltoid and upper arm with his child-like body. Tien returned the hug.

“You did the best you could.” Chiaotzu said, “you worked harder than anyone! But in the end, you were only human. Super Saiyans, Namekians, Androids…we never stood a chance.”

“No.” Tien said, rising to his feet. “No, I refuse to accept it!”

The last words were a roar of defiance to the mountain peak, high above. The only answer was the cold wind, whispering through the evergreens. Tien felt the raging emotions in him coalescing into something solid, something determined. He rose into the air, drawing on his Ki. It flowed readily; he always found the mountain air invigorated him.

“Get clear, Chiaotzu!” Tien shouted.

Chiaotzu responded, grabbing their dinner from the fire where it bubbled noisily, and zipping away towards the treeline.

Tien steadied himself in the air and face the halfway crumbled dojo where Shen had drilled them, and the rest of his assassin pupils. He grit his teeth and channeled his Ki into his hands. He let all his emotions rush to the surface; his anger at Shen, his frustration with himself, his slow-fading terror of the Androids; he drew it all into a glowing, golden sphere in his palms.

With a roar, he hurled the attack downwards and the whole valley lit up in a dazzling array of golds and yellows. The blast levelled the old Crane School Compound and blew away the remnants of their campfire. The freezing glacial river, nearly twenty metres away, flowed backwards for a few moments, before rushing back down its course. Chiaotzu dropped the telekinetic shield he had erected around himself and their dinner. He turned his pale face skyward.

“Tien?” Chiaotzu asked uncertainly.

“I’m sorry Chiaotzu.” Tien said, flying down to land next to his friend.

“I…think I understand.”

Tien turned to see the first grey lines of dawn appearing on the horizon. He smiled.

“What now?” Chiaotzu asked.

“Now?” Tien replied, hefting a newly-downed tree and placing it between them as a table. “Now we eat.”

_And tomorrow_ , he thought, _tomorrow we start building. I may not be a Super Saiyan, or an Android, but I’ll be damned if I don’t push myself to keep up with these monsters. There’s always another level to be reached, another barrier to be surpassed._

“Tomorrow,” he said aloud, serving the two of them from the kettle, “we start rebuilding this place. A new Crane school. Somewhere for us poor, lowly humans to train.”

Chiaotzu laughed in delight.

“Whatever you say, **Master** Tien!”

Tien looked around the valley as the sunrise began to pour colour into it. The old buildings were gone, and a broad stretch of the rocky valley reduced to smouldering crater. Tien flexed his fingers, already feeling the old itch that could only be scratched by pushing his body to its absolute limit.

“You know, “Chiaotzu ventured, “it’s a shame we don’t know more about the Three-Eyed People.”

Tien looked at Chiaotzu over the rim of his coffee cup.

“Well no one knows very much about them, Chiaotzu.” He replied, “they lived a long time ago, and no one’s even sure if they’re from earth or not.”

Chiaotzu still looked thoughtful.

“Besides, Bulma ran a gauntlet of tests on everyone when we were hospitalized after the Cell Games. According to her tests I’m more than 90% human. That makes me as human as anyone else as far as I’m concerned.”

“I was just thinking about what you said about Super Saiyans.” Chiaotzu continued, “the Saiyans thought that was just some old story, but it turned out to be true. I just thought maybe the Three-Eyed People might have had some old stories like that.”

Tien put down his cup of coffee. How had never considered that? He made a mental note to visit a library the next time we went to Metro North for supplies. The possibility was remote, but he had never considered that his ancestors DNA might give him some latent power had had yet to…

He cut off the train of thought.

“It’s no good, Chiaotzu.” He said. “when Shen raised me to use my powers for evil, I lost the ability to use my third eye. I’ve never considered it up ‘til now, but that may not have been the only thing I lost.”

“Don’t you worry Tien!” Chiaotzu said, “we’ll find out everything about the Three-Eyed People, and then you can get even stronger and learn some cool new powers!”

Tien smiled. As always, Chiaotzu’s relentless optimism was infectious.

“That sounds like a great idea, Chiaotzu,” Tien said, smiling, “but let’s focus on getting this school built first.”

Chiaotzu nodded happily. They finished their breakfast in companionable silence, Tien’s mind racing ahead to the plans he was laying for his school. But every so often, he found himself wondering what power could be locked away in his ancestor’s blood. The possibilities filled him with a burning curiosity, and he had to wrangle his thoughts back to the task at hand.

A little while after breakfast, Tien sensed a strong Ki descending into the valley. He released his telekinetic hold on the piece of rubble he as moving, and looked skyward. A lone figure was flying in over the mountain ridge, a loose cape billowing behind it. Tien grinned. It was Piccolo.

The Namekian landed and Tien greeted him with a wave.

“Hey Piccolo,” he said, “what brings you here?”

“I was in Metro North. Was there some kind of battle? I felt your Ki all the way from the city, and I came to see if you needed help.”

Tien laughed, embarrassed.

“No, just…” he gestured vaguely at the pile of rubble, “letting off some steam.”

Piccolo raised an eyebrow.

“The Cell Games…?” Piccolo left the question unasked.

Tien nodded slowly.

“Things will never be the same.” Piccolo said, gazing off into the distance.

“You know, Piccolo,” Tien began, “I think that’s the one thing we’ve always had in common.”

Piccolo shot him a questioning look.

“Neither of us will ever stop trying to surpass Goku.”

Piccolo grinned.

“Who knows?” Piccolo said, “maybe we can catch up. I may be a long way behind, but I’m not planning on quitting anytime soon.”

“Neither am I.” Tien hesitated, before continuing, “that’s part of the reason I’m out here. This used to be a training camp for the Crane School assassins. I…spent some time here in my youth.”

“Letting off some steam, eh?” Piccolo nodded knowingly at the piles of rubble.

“I’ve decided to rebuild. Start my own school.” Tien said, “teach the Crane School techniques, and use this place to further my own training.”

Piccolo grinned.

“That’s a noble goal, Tien.” Piccolo said, placing a hand on his shoulder, “I think you’ll make a fine teacher.”

“Thanks, Piccolo.” Tien said, “that means a lot, coming from you.”

“Well, why don’t you show me what you’re planning on teaching?”

Piccolo removed his turban and cloak, dropping them to the ground. He settled into a fighting stance, grinning.

“All right,” Tien said, “show me what a Super Namekian can do!”

Tien and Chiaotzu waved farewell as Piccolo faded into the distance, flying for Metro North. The encounter with Piccolo had left him feeling refreshed. It was comforting to know he wasn’t alone in his frustration with the seemingly relentless progression of the Saiyans. Though the young man who had sought Goku’s life seemed a lifetime behind him, his desire to surpass the first warrior to ever challenge him burned just as strongly now as it did in his youth. He surveyed the wide area they had cleared from the ruins of the old Crane School buildings.

“Let’s head into town tomorrow, Chiaotzu.” Tien said.

“What for?”

“I’ve got some calls to make, to some old friends.”


	2. Chapter 2

It was inevitable. Tien had been waiting for the old hermit to visit ever since he announced that he intended to re-found the Crane School under his tutelage. He had practically been looking over his shoulder all week while he and Chiaotzu worked to clear the remains of the old training facility. It was good, honest work and his body welcomed the exertion. Straining, dragging, lifting and carrying was a refreshing break from combat drills and he knew it would benefit him greatly.

_Besides,_ he thought, carrying a tree trunk on one shoulder and another under his arm, _it’s almost fun._

But he had still almost been surprised when Muten Roshi ascended to the high mountain valley under his own power, his characteristic beach attire and turtle shell looking almost cartoonish and out of place in the sub-alpine heights. Still, he recovered himself quickly enough and asked Chiaotzu to fetch some tea. He went down from the worksite to greet him. When the old master came in sight, Tien gave a formal bow, as one would to an equal. He saw Roshi raise an eyebrow at that, but continued on, smiling, nonetheless.

“Hullo, Tien.” Roshi called

“Greetings, Master Roshi.” Tien said

Roshi reached him and paused, smelling the clean mountain air and surveying the valley.

“Ya sure picked a nice spot.” Roshi said, “if a little outta the way.”

“Thank you.” Tien replied, “I thought it a good place…for a fresh start.”

Roshi made a thoughtful noise and stroked his beard.

“I knew about this place.” He ventured, “or what it used to be. Last time I made that climb, was to try and give Shen one last chance to talk things over, to turn away from the path he seemed so intent on walking.”

Silence stretched between them, interrupted by Chiaotzu bringing tea.

“Well, talk me through your plan then!” Roshi said at last, his tone bright.

Tien turned and indicated the central area they had cleared.

“I envision something simple. A dormitory for the students and the necessary kitchens and storerooms. Bulma has promised to build me a more power-efficient gravity chamber. I’ll set up solar and wind farms on the east side of the valley. Chiaotzu has been clearing the opposite side of the river bank for planting gardens. I intend to keep the school’s floor plan as open as possible, to make the best use of the natural topography and scenery…”

Chiaotzu and Roshi nodded and followed along as Tien laid out his plans for a small class of students, open to anyone, to study the Crane School techniques and meditate in the quiet mountain atmosphere. They would grow all the food they needed and draw water from the glacial river that bisected the valley. As he talked, Tien grew more animated, ascending from his usual stoic, quiet self.

“Why the Crane School?” Roshi asked, interrupting Tien as he expounded on his plans for an irrigation system.

“I think that is obvious, Master Roshi.” He replied, confused.

“Sure, you were trained in the Crane School Style, but if I recall you two left Shen’s service before truly mastering it.”

Tien sputtered and Roshi raised a hand to quiet him.

“That’s not me sayin’ you haven’t grown into a fine martial artist. Heck, a master in your own right! But **not** a Crane School Master. You’ve made your own way for these long years, you’ve learned and adapted your techniques. You’ve trained on other worlds, fought aliens fer cryin’ out loud!”

Tien turned thoughtful, Chiaotzu looked confused.

“So you’re saying I shouldn’t teach something that isn’t my own?”

“You shouldn’t teach anything that doesn’t define you.” Roshi looked over his sunglasses, all business, “For better or worse, Shen’s nature is bound up in the Crane School teachings. To emulate that, to bring another generation into it…invites trouble, at the very least. At worst, you risk creating a new Master Shen, or becoming more like him yourself.”

Tien narrowed his gaze.

_The old bastard has a point, maybe it would be better if I…_

The thought went unfinished as Roshi unslung his turtle shell and it fell to the ground with a thundering crash. He tossed aside his walking stick and Tien felt the old master’s Ki flare. Confused and alarmed, he dropped into a fighting stance and took a step back.

“Why don’t we skip the soul-searching, hm?” Roshi asked. The sunglasses came off now. “Let’s have a friendly bout, call it an exhibition between colleagues. We’ll see how much of Shen you’ve still got in you!”

Tien was impressed. Without the immense weight of the turtle shell, Roshi’s Ki had grown exponentially. Still, it was far below his own. As if reading his thoughts, Roshi called out again, raising his voice to be heard over the rush and roar of their embattled Ki energies.

“There’s more to winning a fight than brute strength. That’s the first thing you’ve got to understand if you wanna keep up with those monsters.”

Quick as a striking snake, Roshi darted forward, delivering a hail of blows, testing Tien’s defenses. He circled around him, feinting and striking at Tien’s guard. Tien parried the blows, feeling the old warrior’s surprising strength. He lashed out with a kick and Roshi leapt over it, landing a quick jab to Tien’s jaw. He staggered a half-step then recovered and launched his own offensive. The two traded blows as Chiaotzu looked on, mouth agape. Tien frowned, each successive blow felt sharper, stronger than the one before it.

“Heh.” Roshi chuckled, “feels good to get the ol’ blood flowing. You almost finished warming up?

_It’s time to take this seriously._ Tien thought. He focused his attention on Roshi’s movements and channeled his Ki, feeling the familiar rush of power though his limbs. It was like an electric charge, bone-deep. His adrenaline roared in his ears to answer the potency coiled in his thick limbs and he charged forward.

Roshi met him head on, his own Ki coursing through his limbs, engorging and empowering his ancient muscles. They clashed, and their blows sounded like rocks tossed together in an avalanche.

Chiaotzu watched in awe as the two masters duelled across the valley floor. When it became clear that neither was able to gain any advantage hand-to-hand, Roshi leapt back and summoned a ball of Ki in his palm. With a shout, he hurled it towards Tien, who braced a forearm to deflect it.

At the last second, Roshi gave a flick of his fingers and the Ki blast turned abruptly downwards, exploding in the ground at Tien’s feet and sending a shower of dirt and dust into his eyes. Tien cried out and stepped backwards. In an instant, Roshi was behind him, and inside his guard. Tien coughed as the wizened fist buried itself in his ribcage. It was a powerful blow, and he felt one or more ribs crack beneath it. Memories of the enormous fists of Nappa, and the merciless assault of Cell’s foul spawn flashed through his mind, and he shut out the pain.

_Fine. The old bastard’s asking for it_.

Clamping down on the pain, Tien took the full power of the blow and turned, forcing as much of his Ki as he could muster in his fist. The blow took Roshi square in the chest and the old master flew backwards, tumbling head over heels in the grass and churned earth. Taking a moment’s reprieve, Tien focused on his breathing, trying to block out the pain in his ribs. He checked his side for any signs of broken bones, finding none.

“Tien!” Chiaotzu’s warning shout drew his attention.

Instead of lying on the ground, Roshi was several meters in the air, shirt torn partially away, Ki-gorge muscles rippling, his arms and chest nearly three times their normal size. Tien gaped, looking down at his feet where an open travel-mug inexplicably stood.

“Evil Containment!” Roshi shouted.

A wave of spiralling green energy erupted from his palms, encircling Tien and pulling him from the ground. He spun through the air, disoriented and confused, spinning and spinning and falling and…nothing.

He landed on the ground with a thump and rolled upright. Roshi was standing nearby, smiling, his battle-Ki receding, his familiar frail frame once more in evidence. He stood stock still, a triumphant grin on his face, then slowly teetered backwards and fell to the ground in a puff of dust.

“Ow.” He said softly.

Over tea, Roshi apologized.

“I’m sorry to have to push you like that, my boy.” Roshi said, genuine penitence in his voice, “I’ve known you for years and I both respect and trust you.”

“But you had to be sure.” Tien finished his sentence. “If you could trap me with the Evil Containment Wave that would have been proof that I never truly abandoned Master Shen’s teachings.”

Roshi nodded slowly.

“Do you really think I could establish my own school, Master Roshi?” Tien asked.

“When we fought today, not a single technique you used was one you learned from Shen.” Roshi replied. “And there isn’t a Master alive who would dispute your ability. Heck, besides Krillin, you may be the strongest human who ever lived!”

Tien rose and gave a formal bow.

“Thank you, Master.” Tien said. “I will think on what you’ve said today.”

Roshi grinned and toasted him with his cup of tea.

“Well, besides that, there’s really only two problems I can see with what you’ve got planned for this place.” Roshi said speculatively, rubbing his beard.

“Oh?” Tien furrowed his brow.

_I’ve got building materials, a sizable loan from Mr. Satan, Chiaotzu told me there were already nearly a hundred applicants…_

“There isn’t a pretty lady or a bar within a hundred kilometres of here!”


	3. Chapter 3

The next visitor to the high, secluded valley surprised him even more. Word travels fast, and it was less than a week after his encounter with Master Roshi that Yamcha arrived, riding a blue and white hover-cycle, draped with saddle bags, and carrying a large hiking backpack. He rode into the valley, engine roaring, causing Tien to look up from the designs he was studying. He grinned to see Yamcha waving excitedly, and unpacking his things from the vehicle. As he walked over to greet him, Yamcha returned the hover-cycle to its capsule and took a deep breath.

“Hoo—eey.” Yamcha said, grinning broadly, “get a lungful of that clean, mountain air. Sure beats suckin’ smog on the daily commute!”

Tien and Yamcha bumped fists.

“Hey, where’s Chiaotzu?” Yamcha asked, looking around.

“He’s up in the hills, gathering some food for dinner. What are you doing here?” Tien asked.

“Well I heard you were starting you own school, and I figured it was a good weekend for a camping trip so…here I am!”

Tien grinned.

“It’s good to see you Yamcha.”

“Oh, and I brought you some stuff!” Yamcha said.

He turned and began rummaging through his various bags. With a small exclamation of victory, he turned back to Tien, holding a small box wrapped in newspaper with a lopsided blue ribbon bow, and an envelope. Tien frowned.

“You didn’t-“he began, but Yamcha cut him off.

“Don’t wanna hear it, dude!” He said, pressing the gift into Tien’s hands, “I may have retired from this whole martial arts life, but you’re still my best friend, and I wanna help you out.”

Tien opened the box and grinned. It was a brand new cell phone.

“Now I might actually be able to talk to you without driving up a mountain.” Yamcha quipped. “But the real gift’s in the other one.”

Tien broke the seal and opened the envelope and removed a personal cheque made out to him, from Yamcha. He saw the figure and reeled.

“Yamcha, this is too much!” Tien said.

He stuffed the cheque back into the envelope and tried to give it back. Yamcha simply held up his hands and put on a defiant smirk.

“It’s for you, Tien.” Yamcha said, “I want you to have it.”

“But where did you…?” Tien asked, peering inside to examine the eye-watering sum of money his friend had just handed him.

“Ehh…let’s just say I had some money saved for a wedding that never ended up happening.”

Yamcha looked away for a moment before his usual grin returned.

“But forget all that!” He said, throwing an arm around Tien’s shoulders and turning to face the work site. “Put me to work! How can I help? I’ve gotten too soft living in the city. Every once in a while a man’s got to get back to nature, to be a **man**.”

“Well…” Tien said. “The contractors should be here tomorrow, and we’ve got the ground cleared for them to lay the foundation.”

“Contractors?” Yamcha asked.

“I’m not great with the technical side of things, so I spoke with Bulma and asked if she could recommend a good architect.”

“And lemme guess,” Yamcha interjected, “she hired a whole damn firm, and a construction company to boot?”

Tien laughed softly.

“Yeah, that’s definitely Bulma.” Yamcha said.

“So there isn’t much to do.” Tien said. “But we could get some training done. Have a sparring match, for old time’s sake?”

Yamcha’s grin split his face from ear to ear.

“As long as you go easy on me, I’m out of practice!”

That night, Tien took a quick flight up to his favourite vantage point and sat surveying the valley. Below, Yamcha snored in his tent, exhausted from their sparring session and subsequent afternoon of training. Tien had put him through his paces, running sprints up the rocky slopes and practicing forms while balanced on rocks in the icy river. They had laughed and enjoyed every minute.

The cellphone in his pocket buzzed, startling him. He retrieved it and opened it, holding it to his ear.

“Uh, hello?” He said.

“Tien?” Goku’s too-loud voice came through the line, “Can you hear me?”

“Uh, yeah, hi Goku. Everything okay?”

“Chi-Chi told me that Bulma said you were startin’ your own martial arts school!” Goku said.

Tien held the phone out at arm’s length.

“Dad, you don’t need to shout, he can hear you.” Gohan’s voice came from the background.

“Yes, that’s right.” Tien said.

“That’s so awesome!” Goku said excitedly. “Gohan, do you think Master Roshi would be mad if we sent Goten to study with Tien? Cuz he’s gettin’ kinda old, and Tien’s one of the best fighters I know…”

“Goku, I would be honored to train Goten, but my school isn’t going to be open for some time yet. We’re still-“

Before Tien could continue, he heard Chi-Chi barge into the room on the other end of the call.

“Oh no you don’t, mister!” She barked, “I’m not sending our baby off to some frozen mountaintop to learn how to be a professional freeloader like his dad!”

“Aww, c’mon Chi-Chi.” Goku protested.

“Not a chance! Oh, and Tien dear, congratulations on opening your school. We’re all very excited for you. We’ll come visit when you have your grand opening. I’ve put together a little housewarming present for you.”

“Tien, we’ll talk later!” Goku whispered urgently. The sound of something heavy impacting Goku’s skull rang through the phone and the line went dead.

Tien chuckled warmly, and settled in to his nightly meditation. He held Yamcha’s envelope in his hands, considering what it.

_It’s simple._ He thought, _this money means the school gets finished **this** year instead of in another five. And with Bulma’s help securing the contractors I can pay back Mr. Satan and maybe actually keep this place open once it starts up._

It was a strange feeling, he realized. He rarely went out of his way to socialize, and yet everyone still practically leapt to support him. He felt…loved. As he settled in to his nightly meditation, a soft smile refused to leave his lips, and the cold night air wrapped around him like an old friend.

Something shook him from his meditation just after midnight. An explosion from the valley floor lit up the sky and cast insane, dancing shadows up the mountainside. With a gasp, he hurled himself into flight and rushed down to where Yamcha and Chiaotzu had camped. A fire was burning, eating its way through their supplies. He cast his eyes around frantically searching for his friends.

“Chiaotzu! Yamcha!” He called, “where are you?”

A sudden blow to his back sent him sprawling to his knees. He whirled around and his mouth dropped open in shock. Standing over him, grinning evilly, was Master Shen’s brother, the cyborg Mercenary Tao.

“You’re dead!” Tien said, dumbfounded, “you can’t be here!”

Mercenary Tao said nothing, only lunged forward with his wrist blade. Tien threw himself sideways to avoid the thrusting blade. As he regained his feet, bracing himself to launch a counter-attack, he sensed movement behind him and threw himself to the ground once again, barely avoiding a flying kick from Master Shen.

“No!” Tien shouted, “this is impossible! What do you want?”

“You can never be free of me, Tien.” Shen grated, “you are my pupil, my prize student. If you will not serve the Crane School then you will perish for your betrayal!”

The two brothers launched themselves at Tien and he backpedaled, fending off their attacked. A flurry of fists and blades filled his vision and he felt himself slowing, reacting like he was swimming in peanut butter. One of Tao’s blades got through his defenses and gouged his upper arm. He gasped and clutched at the pain, only to have Shen land a kick to the side of his head that sent him cartwheeling into the brush.

“Dear brother,” Shen said, grinning horribly, “would you be so kind as to locate his friends and kill them for me?”

Tien came out of the brush roaring, wreathed in his golden Ki, rage numbing the pain of his wounds. He rushed at Tao, but Shen moved to block him. With a savage grin, Tien drew a small ball of Ki into his palm and threw it at Shen. At the last second he flicked his fingers, directing the Ki bolt to bury itself in the ground at Shen’s feet, sending a geyser of dirt and dust into his former master’s eyes.

AS Shen stumbled, clawing at the dirt obscuring his vision, Tien drove into him with a knee, hearing bones crack as he struck the man square in the ribs. Shen doubled up, coughing blood and collapsed. Tao seized Tien by the shoulder, pulling him around to face him.

“Tien!” Tao called, in a voice not his own.

Tien blinked, and opened his eyes. Yamcha’s face peered down at him, concern and worry written across it, while the boughs of his favourite spruce tree obscured the moonlight behind him.

“You must’ve been having one hell of a nightmare.” Yamcha said, relief flooding his voice.

“I was…dreaming?” Tien asked blearily.

“I’d say!” When your power level spiked, it was enough to wake the both of us up. WE thought you were in trouble, so we came looking for you.”

“Chiaotzu?” Tien inquired.

“Here, Tien.” Chiaotzu peeked out from behind a rock.

Tien noticed for the first time the scorched craters surrounding him, and the shattered rocks beneath his heels and fists.

“I didn’t hurt you guys, did I?”

“Hah, no way!” Yamcha said brightly.

“You’re kinda scary when you’re angry.” Chiaotzu said quietly.

Tien smiled sheepishly and embraced Chiaotzu.

“I’d never hurt you, my friend.” He said.

“I know.”

“Well since everyone’s awake now, how about some breakfast?” Yamcha suggested. “I’m **starving** from that workout yesterday!”

He turned and launched himself skyward.

“Last one back to camp does the dishes!” He called over his shoulder.

“Hey!” Chiaotzu shouted, rushing to follow, “that’s not fair, it’s your turn!”

Tien watched them go, the last tatters of the nightmare falling away.

_It’s over._ He thought, _it’s finally over._

The sun continued to rise, banishing the deep shadows from the valley. As Tien washed the breakfast dishes, sipping a cup of coffee, Yamcha and Chiaotzu reclined against logs, sighing contentedly and rubbing full stomachs. Far away, he saw a column of dust approaching the foot of the long and winding mountain road. He put the final dish off to the side to dry and removed his apron.

“All right!” He clapped his hands, startling his friends. “We’ve got about an hour before the contractors arrive to break ground. That’s enough time for the first lesson in the Tenshin-Style!”

Yamcha and Chiaotzu groaned and slowly climbed to their feet.

Tien grinned.

_Yes._ He thought, _it’s time for a fresh start._


End file.
